Empowerment?

This is a process whereby the social worker engages in a set of activities with the
client aim to reduce the powerlessness that has been created by negative
valuations/Variations based on member-ship in a stigmatized group. It involves
identification of the power blocks that contribute to the problem as well as the
development and implementation of specific strategies aimed at either the
reduction of the

Barriers to empowerment of individual;

Lack of participation and representation of less privileged and excluded social segments is one of
the most visible barriers to individual empowerment. Sometimes a lay person can bring an
innovative idea for example, at the a work place the bosses should learn to give those who work
with the clients directly authority to ensure customers loyalty, but the bosses did not accept their
work much as they have struggled for their rights and we tried to reach him in his office, the staff
will feel humiliated and were humiliated because we are not managers. This definitely affects the
individual empowerment. Another example could be having many people from the project and
they are very supportive but in other places have been humiliated like When they wanted to talk
to the president they said that they did not know them and would not speak to them however they
knew them very well’

Another major barrier to empowerment identified in this research is the lack of community
support and understanding of the collective recycling program. It is important for me to
participate but for others they don’t understand because they don't have the information and
therefore don’t attach value as I do. So it is a problem because the community is not prepared
for this larger process and feels individual contribution to the environment and the generation of
income is less without the support from the wider community, implementing local development
strategies on individuals can be difficult, and ineffective.

Another barrier is the lack of government support highlighted by some of the leaders in their
municipalities. It is an issue of absence of political will and commitment ‘We have no support
from the district mayor. We make a very good work for our city for our people but we are not
recognized. It is a hidden work and the authorities only come to see us when they need us in
times of elections, nothing else’ Without appropriate support and recognition from government,
cooperatives struggle with inadequate infrastructure, below standard working conditions, and
lack of representation in public policies. In few municipalities, It is clear, through feedback
from the empowering teams that government support is vital for locally owned, inclusive
selective which become viable for individual empowerment.

Six Principles of dealing with individual migrate or refugee within empowerment

process?

Collaboration; Workers should treat clients as equal partner in the helping process to avoid
replication of powerlessness experience of clients through worker directing the process, the
interaction between worker and clients should be genuine, open and informal and the clients
experience self determination as a result.

Ongoing involvement; Workers should actively involve clients in the helping process their own
knowledge, skills and required resources, both workers and clients bring to the helping process
their own problems can enable them to realize that they are the causal agents of their own life.

Contextualization; Workers should help people to learn the social influence on their
perceptions of themselves. Because the social base of identity and experience cannot be expected
to be systematically understood by the client. Worker should listen to the clients' presentation of
self, and externalize the causes of the problem by indicating its social base. In this way, client is
assisted to look critically at the externalized or contextual situation.

Action/reflection; Empowerment needs continual helping clients to foster change, it also needs
facilitating clients to reflect upon the lesson learnt from their action Experiential learning is
essential. Ongoing process of action and reflection strengthens the capability of the clients to
deal with the situation and enables their awareness of the social causes of their disadvantaged to
be further clarified.

Consciousness raising and skill training; Empowerment work needs not only consciousness
raising, but also facilitating clients to learn the needed skills. Skills relating to individual aspect,
assertive skill, problem solving ability, appropriate handling of emotions, relating to fostering
social change; analytical skills, organizing and mobilization.
Advocacy with clients; Advocating for clients can reduce the aversive social conditions
hindering clients, but to involve clients more is also one essential principle of empowering self,
if possible, worker may involve in related social movement to strengthen his/her ability to
advocate with the clients.

Areas of action when it comes to empowerment of institutions or organizations

With regard to groups we have to differentiate between formal organizations

of migrants or refugees and informal networks. The term 'community' will
also be used to describe single nationality groups of migrants. The following
issues may arise. Organized and non organized groups of migrants and
refugees are often faced with the phenomenon of separation. Separation
occurs when certain groups in a society encounter difficulties, and decide to
separate themselves from the host society and create their own subculture.

Direct dealing with individual; Dealing directly with the individual client with the
impetus of influencing the group or community through him/her. Here the
organization may chose to work with the individuals to help achieve the desired
goal. For example give employees authority over clients, tell client, customers that
they will be put first, since empowerment is the back bone of the service

Direct dealing with the community; Dealing directly with the community or
group through its representatives. It would be quite easy to deal with the
representatives of a community, if communities were homogeneous groups,
but frequently the relationship between different groups within the same
national community is very conflicting. For an example you may refer to the
link.

Advocating on behalf of individuals; this will address and the outcomes sought,
you assess and identify the most appropriate types of advocacy to meet the
needs, and circumstances, you discuss and clarify, the individual’s, family’s,
rights to use you or access Independent advocacy, legal and organizational,
policies and procedures that might affect your decision to act as an advocate
your ability, and that of others, to advocate on behalf of the individual,
family, career,, You assess: the needs, situation and circumstances with past
experiences that might affect your role as a potential advocate

Advocating on behalf of the community or group; While much of this work is

done behind the scenes, it results in tangible benefits for the community. For
instance, a recent example of Council advocating on behalf of the
community was in support of the Stanley residents in their efforts to get
mobile phone communications in their area. Council advocated on their
behalf to Victorian Government Ministers and the Premier. Mobile phone
communications were launched in November 2010. A key function of Indigo
Shire Council is to advocate on behalf of the residents to State and Federal
governments, other authorities and business on issues that affect us all.

Personal experience related to dependency syndrome

Alcoholism; is a disabling addictive disorder. It is characterized by

compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcohol despite its negative
effects on the drinker's health, relationships, and social standing. Like other
drug addictions, alcoholism is medically defined as a treatable disease. The
term alcoholism is widely used, but in medicine the term was replaced by the
concepts of "alcohol abuse" and "alcohol dependence" in the 1980s DSM III.
The term alcohol dependence is sometimes used as a synonym for
alcoholism, sometimes in a narrower sense. Despite knowing all the ill things
attained from alcohol I could not stop using it because it would be one way I
forget about my problems I was going thorough so to be seen to be happy
when in a group I would always drink to get happiness.

The dependency syndrome or the assistance trap is a situation usually found

in unempowered communities where the people expect “food on a silver
plate” from the empowered groups. They rely on the empowered groups to
give them everything even that, that is within their reach.
From my experience, the under development of most of the sub Saharan
African communities, especially those endowed with a lot of undiscovered or
underutilized natural resources is one example of this dependency
syndrome. Most of these reluctantly wait on the foreign aid from the
developed countries’ NGO’S without putting in any self-help efforts, to for
example discover and fully utilize the natural resources, like fertile soils and
minerals, to do both subsistence and commercial agriculture and help
themselves to get out of such socio-economic dependency.

CONCLUSION

To successfully utilize empowerment; seek knowledge–know what’s going on,

delegate authority at the proper times, solicit feedback from employer, and
create over happy customers. To have an empowered people we need,
efficient leadership with principles to follow clear laid out policy lines
References

Gutierrez, Lorraine et al. (eds.): Empowerment in Social Work Practice. A Sourcebook, Pacific Grove et
al. 1998.

Lee, Judith A. B.: The Empowerment Approach to Social Work Practice, New York 1994.

Lewis, J.A et al. (eds.): Community counseling. Empowerment strategies for a diverse society, Pacific
Grove et. al. 1998.